Es Ist Nur Einen Traum
by In Megan's Head
Summary: "It is only a dream." What do you think happened if Rudy had never died in the first place? What would happen to him and Liesel? Who else would show up along the way? Contains some German. Rudy/Liesel. R&R? Discontinued. ; A;
1. Das ist Hölle

**Das ist Hölle**

_This is Hell_

What is this? What has happened here? Where am I? Is this Hell?

The silence that followed the aftermath of the bomb made everything more eerie than it usually was. The street – once alive with children playing soccer in the middle of the street – was completely decimated and in absolute ruin. LSE officers were swarming, picking and prodding at the rubble in wonder if anyone had survived. So far, no survivors. Somewhere down the road a woman lay scissored to the ground. Without saying anything, two of the officers walked up what used to be the yard of number thirty three Himmel Street. Formerly the house of Mr. and Mrs. Hubermann.

It was her hair that had caught their attention. Among the piles was a girl under the cement and roof tiles and a broken wall with a dripping sun on it. With a sturdy hand removing a piece of the wall, the LSE officer threw his head back in an astonished laugh. _"I can't believe it – she's alive!"_ All around the men were filled with happiness that someone survived.

They pulled her out and brought her some way down the street, where they dusted off the pieces of rubble. _"Young girl, the sirens were too late. What were you doing in the basement? How did you know?"_

She didn't answer. What she did shocked them and almost made them let her go. She screamed. _"Papa!"_

They tried to keep her in their arms, but she fought. She kicked, scratched, tore at the men with all that she had, and she managed to break away from them. She ran.

And she ran…

And ran…

_And ran_.

She didn't know where she was running. Himmel Street didn't exist anymore. The musty smell of demolished brick and annihilated buildings covered the air. Dust floated about the ruins and covered the ground. Her hands were bleeding and shaking, but she wasn't worried about that. Her heart was pounding wildly inside her chest. The sky was the color of drying blood, and it spoke exactly of what had happened. Death was busier than ever. He had already left Himmel Street – he couldn't stick around for too long, for he had many, _many_ more places to go – with the souls of those whom had once take inhabitance on the street.

Liesel came to a staggering walk, one of the men catching up to her and grabbing her arm. _"You're just in shock, my girl. It's just shock; you're going to be fine."_

"_What happened? Is this Himmel Street?"_ she asked, her voice barely over a whisper.

"_Yes. This is Himmel. You got bombed, my girl."_

At that, her knees buckled. The man caught her, saying something to the others. Something about moving her soon. Something about getting her out of there. The man lifted her and started to lead her away. Her eyes were wide with horror, moistened with unshed tears. She was rigid and cold. The snowflakes were burning into her hand as the snow slowly began to fall on the ground.

She could only helplessly stare in the distance as she walked, not finding it worthwhile to figure out what building was what anymore. But, then, out of nowhere, a voice whipped across the bombed street. "Hey, there's another survivor!"

Liesel Meminger found herself stopping, standing there with a blank expression on her face. "Papa?" She whispered softly, taking a few steps forward. However, the officer that had been standing beside her made a motion for her to stay put as he jogged off towards the voice.

She didn't stay.

She was running again, fast, towards the voices. It was hard to see, though. Dust still penetrated the atmosphere, and she coughed and wheezed as rubble went down her throat. Blinking and pulling through a cloud of dirt, her musty brown eyes flickered to the demolished house that used to be hers.

Her hands started clawing frantically at the pile. _Papa, _she thought continuously. _Papa, Papa, Papa. _She threw away tiles and pieces of drywall, not caring where they went. Finally, pulling another piece away, she found them.

They were tangled in the sheets, fast asleep. If it weren't for the crumbs in their hair and across their skin, Liesel would've easily believed them to be sleeping. Her heart stopped for a moment. "They're not moving…they're not moving…" And the emotional rollercoaster started. She muttered many things. She didn't want to remember Papa as a man with dead eyes. He had silver eyes, not dead ones. Mama looked much more peaceful, less stressed. The tears were starting again, and this time, she didn't stop them. "Mama…" she whispered, falling to her knees at her adopted parents' feet. "Papa…"

The sound of coughing broke her from her crying. She turned her head around, her brown eyes dancing helplessly across the street. She saw a flash of lemon hair as the men pulled someone free of the debris…

_Rudy?_

He looked weak, and his pale German skin showed the damage and ruins of his life. The men forced him to sit down, and he coughed and heaved. His leg was twisted in an unsightly way, bent in ways it was never meant to be. He had a streak of blood running down the side of his face, and he was hunched over helplessly. His blue eyes flickered to the demolished house, where his family lay scattered about. He knew they were dead. They were all dead.

Why Rudy had been down in his basement, Liesel could never imagine. She would've thought he had been asleep, like everyone else; like the rest of the world that had been sleeping and not hearing the sound of the sirens. The sirens that didn't go off that night. Everyone who was scattered on the ground, their faces buried in dust. She was thankful she couldn't recognize them. It would only make things worse.

She pushed forward, a broken smile spreading across her face. Her muscles were screaming in response, wanting to rest, but her heart was driving her now. Rudy was alive. He was alive! She pushed past the LSE men and nearly tackled Rudy, but she held back. She slid to a stop and crouched down with her hands resting atop of his on his lap. His hands were bloody and covered in dirt. His face was darker because of the rubble, and he seemed much more worn out. He didn't look as awestruck as Liesel did. Had he already drunk in the information that he was an orphan? That he had no family left?

It seemed to take a moment for Rudy to register that warm hands were holding his. He was still watching the smoldering house, expecting his mother to get up and come and reassure him this was only a dream. Slowly, his head craned back into its regular position. His shattered blue eyes found Liesel's chocolaty brown ones, and he could only suppress an absurd half-smile. In his mind, he was imagining his friend sitting there beside him. It couldn't be possible. Everyone was dead.

"Rudy?" Her voice was soft, but was also filled with worry. She felt her face growing hot and her eyes filling with tears once more. What happened to him? Why was he not talking to her? Something was wrong, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. She felt her insides churning. Her family was gone, her adopted family was gone, everyone was gone – except Rudy. Yes, Rudy was here, but in a way, he wasn't. It was as if a piece of him had been left behind under the house, somewhere among the shocked pajamas and torn faces.

Rudy Steiner's eyes seemed to flicker into focus, but he still refused to believe that Liesel was there. "Liesel," he whispered, his hand reaching out and stroking her cheek. She seemed so real. He could even touch her…

A watery tear made a mud track down her face and across Rudy's finger that was still on her cheek. "Rudy, I'm here," She said a little louder. "Rudy, please!" She shook his hands, but he didn't move. He was stiff and unresponsive. "_Saukerl!_" She spat angrily, shaking him harder, more tears streaming down her face. Rudy's hand slid down from her face and back into his lap.

One of the LSE men came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned, her eyes red and puffy, and looked at him desperately. "Come on, darling, he's in shock, too. You will both be fine."

Nodding slowly, she got up, turning on her heel and facing the empty street. Well, what seemed to be an empty street. It was lifeless and destroyed, nothing surviving but two children who had lived directly across from each other. "Hey, I think we've got everyone that survived. Only those two…" _Nobody else surviving… _"Alright, let's pack the two up and go!" _Papa… _"We need to finish getting the bodies."

Eventually, the men came, and one of them scooped her up. Rudy was on a stretcher, and they were both placed in the back of the same car. Liesel did not scream. She watched silently as the men picked up her parents and placed blankets over them, putting them in another car. "Liesel…" With tears still falling onto her lap, Liesel turned at the sound of Rudy's weak voice. "_Sagen Sie mir bitte, dass es ein Traum ist._ Please, tell me it is a dream, Liesel."

She bit her lip hard, blood dripping onto her tongue. Her brown eyes softened, still wet with tears. She didn't have the heart to answer. She wished it was a dream, she really did. But it was not. They were awake, despite the nightmare going on around them. It had finally come to the point where dreams were more of figments than they were before, and nightmares finally found their way out of the mind and explored the world around. But the thing about nightmares? They were still nightmares. And what do nightmares do? They scare you.

_End Chapter_


	2. Versprechung

**Versprechung**

_Promise_

Life didn't promise to be wonderful

The fallen world was vanishing behind them. The car was speeding off along the road, avoiding large chunks of building and deep trenches in the ground. Every now and again the two LSE men who sat in the front seat would turn around and ask how they were holding out. Neither answered, like usual. There was nothing to say. It was unknown why they even asked. The point was obvious that both children were emotionally scarred beyond belief. Both of them stared blankly ahead, neither knowing what to say. They had lost everything, and neither knew where they were going. Fear was prickling through both of their bodies. Neither got to say a proper goodbye to their families, but the officers assured there would be a proper burial sometime soon.

Fed up with the silence, Liesel Memingerw couldn't help but say the one word she had said multiple times that day, "Rudy…" She savored the word, the name, the way it tasted on her tongue. It danced there, and she wondered if she was dreaming herself saying it. Despite feeling as sorrowful as she did, she couldn't help but hide the flash of hope that was in her heart. Rudy was alive. He may seem like he had lost everything, but she knew that she hadn't. She still had Rudy, and right now, that was what she really needed.

"This can't be real, _Saumensch__. _This is just a bad dream. The sirens…they would have woken everyone."

"Rudy," She whispered. "You can't get hurt in dreams." She looked helplessly down at his face. He winced in pain and held his leg as soon as the car hit a bump and made her jump a bit. She stared at him with great concern.

The blond boy stared straight ahead, his blue eyes filled with pain and unshed sorrow. _Why isn't he crying?_ Liesel silently wondered. _How can he hold it in?_ He was much stronger than she ever was. She had known that from the beginning, but he was emotionally strong. He had just lost everything… "Liesel, we've lost everything."

"_Saukerl_," She hissed softly, "We haven't lost each other." She stared at the boy below her again. She couldn't stop the memories that flowed into her mind. She remembered him diving into the river to save her book, them racing back in the beginning when she had first arrived on Himmel Street, playing soccer in the street, their many acts of thievery…_ 'One day, Liesel, you'll be dying to kiss me.'_

As if reading her thoughts, Rudy gave a small smile, "Remember when you first came to Himmel Street? And we raced a hundred meters at Hubert Oval?"

Liesel managed a smile. "It was the first time you asked me to kiss you."

"Doesn't it seem like such a long time ago?"

She pondered it for a moment. He was right. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Where had those days gone? She felt more alone as she thought about it. The memory was flooding more and more vividly into her mind. It was pouring down rain, they were covered in mud, and she was in one of her new dresses. Rudy was all muddy faced and sharp teeth and gangly eyed. After returning, Mama had made mincemeat out of her, and had to be given _another_ bath. "Like a lifetime ago."

"Life never promised to be wonderful."

Silence fell over them. Liesel wondered what Rudy was thinking as he stared out the window, wincing occasionally at the pain in his broken leg. For the first time she really looked at herself. Her clothes was ripped in various places. Her hands were raw and bleeding, same with her fingers. She had multiple scratches and bruises along her body, she noticed, and she could actually begin to feel the pain from the collapse of the house. Why had she been immune to it before? She looked at Rudy for what felt like the first time, too. She saw all his wounds, his shattered soul lurking behind those misty blue eyes, and his dusty lemon-colored hair that seemed a much darker shade due to the amount of residue residing in it.

Folding her hands in her lap, she looked down, subconsciously whispering, "We're all each has left…"

"_Was_?" Rudy said, turning around to face her. What?

"_Nichts_," She murmured. Nothing.

Silence.

"Rudy?"

"_Ja__?_"

"Can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

Liesel entwined her fingers with his, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "Please…promise me…we will never leave each other. Since you are all I have, and I am all you have. If we've made it this far…just…_Versprechung_?"

There was a twinkle in Rudy's eye that Liesel caught, but it was gone before she could figure out what the twinkle was. The boy squeezed her hand, nodding. His lips barely moved as he turned and smiled at her. "_Versprechung__._"

_End Chapter_


	3. Zusammen

**A/N: **Yay, new chapter! R&R. :) I like constructive criticism.

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**Zusammen**

_ Together_

A dream you dream together is reality

The car bumped and swerved and threw the two children up against the seat of the car as it dodged large, obscured obstacles leftover from the bomb. The girl cast her eyes sadly out the window, unsure of what to see or what to remember. She could not make any sense of the land that was now in ruins, buildings that were fallen over the street, or the people picking through the ashes. She couldn't understand how she and Rudy could have survived, and in a way, she found it unfair. Of course, Liesel Meminger could not disagree that she was glad to be alive, and that she was not the only one left alive. She couldn't help but wonder what it would've felt like if she had been pulled out and she had been the only survivor – if she was the last one, the only one left.

If she had the choice, she would easily give her life up if it brought back her Papa. If she could make a deal with Death himself, she would. In a heartbeat. She felt a longing to see him again. So easily could she picture his silver eyes shining with love and affection that seemed to be what he was full of. She felt her eyes welling up again. Hastily, she blinked them away and looked straight ahead, trying to focus on something else.

Do you know how hard it is to focus on something when you have nothing else to think about? When something is so traumatic, that it just won't get out of your head? No? Well, just try to imagine it. Both of the two children in the back of the LSE's car were both spinning in the reveries, trying to rip out the threads that had sewn this nightmare together. But by trying to unthread what had happened, they were slowly ripping themselves apart instead.

As if they weren't torn enough.

As aforementioned, both of them had lost everything. However, they were both in too much shock to really get a grip on what was going on. Rudy was lost in emptiness. He stared with watery blue eyes out at the desolated scenery. They were beginning to come into a more rural part of Munich, where the bomb hadn't affected it as much. As the car hit another bump, and all of them were momentarily tossed in the air, Rudy cringed and let out a yelp of pain as his leg was slammed onto the stretcher. What was the point of being on it if he wasn't strapped down to it?

After what seemed to be hours – but was really only a good hour or so –, the car came to a stop at a Hospital. Rudy was pulled out first, Liesel left in the back. When everyone had cleared out and Rudy was rushed behind the doors of the Emergency Room, Liesel climbed out. She watched the empty scene before her, wondering where to go. More confused than ever, she felt herself shudder. She ran to the door Rudy was rushed behind and went in. There was a swarm of people in white jackets and sterilized white rooms. The blinding light stung her bloodshot eyes and made her use her hand to cover them until her eyes finally adjusted.

"_Gehen Sie aus_! Get out!"

Liesel jumped back, startled. She looked around for Rudy, but there was no sign of him. "Rudy," she said softly, looking back with narrowed eyes up at the nurse. She had a very stern voice and an intimidating, large figure.

The woman seemed to be persistent, and was not going to let Liesel pass. She lifted a hand, ready to grab Liesel by the ear and pull her out of the Emergency Room, where there was clearly no room for a meandering little girl. Quickly, she conjured up a believable lie. "_Mein Bruder_. My brother. We came together."

"Oh? He's in surgery. _Wer sind Sie? Wie ist Ihr Name?_ Who are you? What is your name?"

_Surgery? Why? He only has a broken leg…_She thought. "Liesel, his sister. Why is he in surgery?"

"His leg is broken in three different places. It needs to be worked on, reconstructed." The nurse replied with a bored tone, wanting Liesel to go away.

"When can I see him?"

"When he comes out of surgery,"

"Can I wait for him?"

Groaning, the nurse nodded her head and stepped to the side, swerving away from a medicine cart and leading Liesel down one hallway, another, and finally a third hallway until she was left alone in a medium sized empty room. "Stay here." The woman growled, slinking away.

Liesel did as she was told, taking a seat dutifully beside the empty bed. She sat on the left side of the bed, her brown eyes trailing out into the distance. What a lovely view of things she could see from that third floor hospital room! There was the dust-covered city of Munich, and a large black cloud that covered the red-and-gray painted sky. Standing up slowly, she walked over to the window, her hands placed on the windowsill and her face almost pressed up against the class. It was a perfect view of the place where Himmel Street and a few other streets once stood. It was in ruin, no building left standing in that area. She could see, vaguely, the shapes of cars as they moved about the rubble and picked at the dead bodies. There were no other survivors on Himmel Street. Were there survivors on other streets?

"Papa…_oh_ Papa…" she whispered sadly. A stray tear leaked from her chocolate brown eyes, trailing down her face in another muddy streak, and landing on the windowsill.

_____________.x!

When Rudy Steiner was brought into the room, the nurses were surprised to see Liesel Meminger fast asleep in the chair. Rudy was knocked out as well, but as he was lifted from the bed with the wheels, he slowly was aroused. Airily, he reached out for someone who wasn't there. He was plopped on the bed, and his hand reached out and grabbed Liesel's sleeve. She jolted awake, her eyes wide with alarm. It was noon, the sun rose above the sky, however, unable to hide the dusty cloud encircling the empty part of Munich.

Liesel, rubbing her eyes first, glanced over at the nurses that were tending to Rudy. She yawned and looked at her friend. He dawned a cast that covered his entire left leg. His hair was the original lemony color, and he smelled vaguely of lavender soap. He was pale again, no longer covered in dirt; virtually scrubbed clean. She could see the medication threatening to overwhelm him and how he tried to stay awake, but to no avail. He slumped unconsciously back into bed, his hand growing limp on her sleeve before sliding slowly off.

"_Hallo_, Liesel," A very chipper doctor with silvery-blond hair said as she stepped away from the other nurses and towards her. "How are you?"

Liesel let the sarcastic response roll off her tongue before she could stop it. "Perfect, thank you."

The doctor ignored her sarcasm. "My name is Doctor Feorkopen. Do you mind if I give you a check up?"

_As if I have a choice? _Liesel thought bitterly. The doctor poked and prodded at Liesel, testing her nerves and seeing if she had any fractures. She was given a heavy dose of medicine that made her drowsy, but she could feel it strengthening her system. Liesel fought the medication and remained awake, unlike Rudy. The doctor noticed that Liesel wasn't falling asleep, so she ordered one of the nurses to bring lunch in.

They brought her bread rolls and chicken soup. With the tray on her lap, Liesel prodded at the soup emptily. She was not hungry. She was empty in that way that could not be satisfied by hunger. Something was missing, and food would not replace it. She forced herself to eat though, knowing by the Doctor's angry stares that she had to eat it – there was no other option. She tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the broth before nibbling on it.

It took her a little over an hour to finally finish her food. At that time, the doctor dismissed herself and left Liesel and Rudy alone. Rudy had awoken now, sitting up in bed and looking blankly at the wall. Liesel would give anything to know what he was thinking. His eyes were blank, his hands curled into fists, but his face was not showing any of anger. The silence was piercing, neither of them, once again, knowing what to say.

In the end, it was Rudy who spoke first. "What's going to happen to us?"

"I don't know!" She said, her tone a little too sharp and snappy.

"You don't have to get upset about it." He snapped back.

"Well how do you expect me to know what's going to happen to us? Thrown in an orphanage probably! We have no parents, no one to take care of us!"

"Shut up, _Saumensch._ We're not orphans…"

"Oh, open your eyes! We're _alone_ in this world now. We are the only ones left!"

"Can't you play along, just for a bit? Give me one moment to feel like this is all some bizarre dream?"

"No, I can't, because that's lying."

"As if you haven't lied before." He snorted.

Liesel snorted, crossing her arms and turning away from him.

"You said we had each other."

"Rudy, _Wir sind darin zusammen._We are in this together."

_____________.x!

A week passed before Liesel and Rudy were taken from the Hospital and to the Police Station. Rudy still was wearing his cast, but both were clean and spiffy. They wore itchy clothes that had been donated to the orphanage, new, but they were still itchy. The police were at odds with them, unsure of what to do. They didn't want to send them to an orphanage, and surely the two refused to go there.

They sat side-by-side, watching the officers walk past and ignoring them completely. They had become adjusted to them being there. The two survivors. Occasionally, one would stop and try to carry on a conversation with them, but neither was one for words. The shock had set in a few days after they had been in the Hospital, and Liesel cried, long and hard, until there were no more tears to shed. Rudy had also cried for the family he had lost. Every now and then, they would still cry. Who wouldn't? I sure can't blame them for crying.

Their chairs were stiff and hard, but they didn't complain. When everyone was sacrificing things for you, not even two mangy kids from Himmel Street could complain about it. Liesel said thank you for everything, and she was sure that the officers were quite annoyed with her over excessive use of the two words. Rudy said his 'please's and 'thank you's as well, but he said them softly and avoided eye contact.

"Nobody wants us," Rudy said stiffly on the third day of being out of the Hospital.

Liesel was about to argue, but she had no argument. He was right. She chose to say nothing.

Once again, he asked the heart-wrenching question. "What's going to happen to us?"

The door to the Station opened, and a woman with gray hair pulled up in a messy bun walked swiftly over to the head desk. She looked as though she meant business. She seemed familiar to Liesel, but since she could not see the face, she couldn't tell who it was. Had someone else survived? No, it had been all over the news. There were only two survivors of the bombing of Himmel Street.

"Everyone is saying, that there were survivors…" The woman said softly, her voice husky.

The Chief of Police nodded over at the two children sitting stiffly beside each other. One in a cast, the other covered in scabbing scratches. The woman turned, and it was then that Liesel knew who she was.

Ilsa Hermann.


	4. Haus

**A/N: **Helloooo! Yay, another update! :D The Book Thief isn't mine, despite how much I wish it was. I'm just a wannabe writer, in love with Markus Zusak's characters. R&R please :D

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**Haus**

_ Home_

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

* * *

"I've come to take you home," Frau Hermann said softly, standing before the two.

***** AN OBVIOUS FACT *****

**There was no home to go to.**

**It was destroyed, along with their families.**

**And so they sit there, staring at each other for a moment.**

"**What home?"**

It was Liesel who had spoken.

"To _my_ home," The woman replied. "Is that alright, Liesel?"

"What about Rudy?" She said, her body tensing up as she spoke.

Ilsa Hermann paused for a moment, looking at the boy. She bit her lip uncomfortably. It hadn't been her intentions of bringing two children home with her. A little girl she could handle, but a boy…

"Yes, him, too,"

"Home?" Rudy half whispered. Home was where his family was, his happy family. Large, but always seeming to be there. Home was Himmel Street and Liesel and the other children they played soccer with. Home was not Ilsa Hermann's house.

They sat there for a good two hours more, Frau Hermann and her husband talking to the police, signing legal paperwork, and the police finally declaring, "Welcome to your new family, kids. Good luck."

The boy and girl were shuffled into the back of another car. The Book Thief couldn't help staring out the clear window at where the bomb had struck. She was haunted by that bomb. Even though the cloud was gone, the rubble was there as a permanent reminder of what had happened. After that, there had been no sirens and no rushing to the shelters. _Is it over?_ Liesel wondered silently.

When they finally made it to the large, familiar house, the girl and boy couldn't help exchanging glances as they both remembered when they had stolen the books from the woman who had so kindly taken them in. She gave a small smile and he mirrored it, but it was quickly gone. Neither could help stealing a soul-severing glance back at the murdered Himmel Street. _I don't want to stay here,_ Liesel thought with dismay as she could still recall seeing her dead parents.

On crutches, Rudy, again, got out first. He hobbled to the doorstep with Liesel right beside him. "_Danke, _Frau Hermann," Rudy said softly.

There was a smile on the woman's face. "Why are you thanking me? There is nothing to thank me for."

Liesel opened her mouth to retort back, 'There is everything to thank you for,' but she was unable to get the word out, for Ilsa held up her hand, preventing them from speaking. She and her husband led them into the large house that was their new home.

"You two will be upstairs in the spare rooms. I'm sure you two know where the library is. The bathroom is straight down the hall. You two make yourselves comfortable, I'll start dinner." With a pleasant smile, Frau Hermann walked away. Her husband was nowhere in sight.

They were left alone, and Liesel looked at Rudy tenderly. "Can you get up there?" She asked, looking back to the fair amount of stairs.

Rudy scrutinized the boards. "Never know unless I try," He muttered.

Twenty minutes later, both stood on the top step of the stairs. Down the hall, at the end, there were two rooms opposite each other. They made their way slowly over and each opened one of the doors.

The rooms were identical; pale, creamy colored walls and yellow drapes on the windows. There was a bed pushed up against one of the walls. There were nightstands beside the beds, holding a lamp that lit up the room against the fading sunlight. There was also an old oak dresser, and a small closet. Rudy had never had a room to himself. Liesel's room hadn't been this big or nice. Since they were both the same, they took the rooms they had opened; Liesel claiming the last door on the right, and Rudy claiming the room on the left.

Liesel closed her door and walked over to the window. She crawled up into it, sitting on the windowsill and looking out at Himmel Street – or, the remains of it. It was a perfect view of the street. More tears slid down her face. She could hear Rudy's door shutting, and then silence, before she could hear muffled sobs. Her heart twisted as she listened to Rudy Steiner cry.

And at that moment, Liesel didn't think about Himmel Street and all the losses that it had, even though she was staring straight out at it. She didn't see a rubble-reduced hell hole. She was staring at the same Himmel Street she had been staring at forever. She saw her and Rudy walking up the street, carrying Mama's freshly washed clothes. She heard Papa's accordion playing in the basement. She could see Max smiling at her in the dully lit basement. She watched as they stole apples from a farm, ran through fields away from other kids, and steal books from the very house she was sitting in.

Wrapped solely in the reverie, she kept daydreaming. She saw the gangly blue eyes of Rudy Steiner, alert and alive. Eyes, sparkling with mischief, that were hungry for adventure, and food that never seemed to be enough of. His scruffy, lemon-colored hair that seemed to get brighter in the summer. Summarizing up everything, she couldn't get the boy out of her head. Realization swept over her as she let out a dreamy sigh. She snorted involuntarily. "I'm being stupid," She thought sourly.

Unable to help it, a memory floated into her mind. _She was sitting in a tree beside Rudy, the wind blowing through her hair. "How about a kiss, Saumensch?_" _Rudy asked with the typical grin. In the back of her mind, something was whispering to her. 'Kiss him, Liesel. Grab his arm and kiss him…' But she didn't she sat still and stiff, ignoring his offer as usual. _Snapping out of it, Liesel Meminger found her heart twisting again, and her stomach turning over. Rudy passed through her mind again, and her twisting heart began to beat a little faster.

What was going on?

It's a funny thing, love is. It was no lie that Liesel loved Rudy, but she had only begun to realize it. She wondered what would've happened if she had lost Rudy the night of the bomb, and if she would still be with Frau Hermann now. Another stray tear fell from her eye, and she buried her face in her knees before sobbing once again. Sobbing at the thought of losing Rudy, sobbing at losing her parents, sobbing at lose everything she had ever once had…

***** SHE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE*****

**To cry her little heart out over and over.**

**Down the hall on the left, directly across from her own room,**

**Rudy Steiner sat with raw eyes locked on the world outside of the dusty window.**

There were tear tracks staining his face, and his clothes were dappled with dark spots from crying. Despite what she was thinking, Rudy was not thinking about Liesel and the memories Himmel Street held for them.

When Liesel had found Rudy after running away from the LSE officers, there was something she hadn't seen. She was blinded by the fact Rudy was alive, and that she had her own family to worry about. If you remember, Rudy had not shared the same happiness that someone else was alive. When Liesel had come, he had barely given notice to her.

He had been staring at something. She hadn't followed his gaze to see what it was. In fact, Rudy Steiner had been looking at a good number of things. The tears had refused to fall then though. Now, the images were coming back to him, and he couldn't stop them this time around.

What had Rudy seen?

To the side of the rubble of his house, Rudy had seen his little sister nearly blown in half. Her torso was twisted and her body was broken all over. His mother had been lifelessly laying in her bed, but there was blood around where a large piece of roof had slammed into her head; killing her instantly. He hadn't seen his brothers, but as he was pulled out, he saw a hand reaching out from under the pile, almost beckoning him and shouting, "_Rudy, come back!" _

He awoke from nightmares many nights. It wasn't just the actual memory of seeing his family like that. His dreams were like that of a bizarre zombie movie. He dreamed his ripped up, tattered family got up from under their rubble graves before the LSE officers came to take their bodies away. They screamed at him, _"How could you leave us, Rudy?"_ and _"Rudy, don't you love us? Why did you leave?_" They came at him, bodies severed and cut deeply, and threatened to kill him as well.

Despite all his nightmares, the boy did have shreds of hope. It passed through his mind that his father could be dead, but all the same, he could be alive. He was only off at the war. Not everyone died in the war. And he wasn't alone. He had Liesel. He might even have his father, somewhere. Ilsa had told him and Liesel on the drive home that some men were being put on leave after the bomb. He held onto the hope that his father might show up at the funeral.

Oh yes, the large funeral. The funeral was coming in a few days, where all of the bodies would be in coffins and lowered into the ground. He and Liesel were going, and any family members of those now dead were supposed to come, too, if they wanted to. Rudy didn't want to go. It would be too hard. More tears would be shed.

What is the thing about crying that no one likes? Crying makes you feel weak and vulnerable. The more the tears fall sometimes the more pitiful you feel. I've noticed that with some humans. They think because they cry that they are weak. But in the end, it is they who come out stronger. At least they didn't bottle their emotions. In the end, that would cause even more chaos then crying in the first place.

Eventually, Rudy's tears came to a stop, and he could only sit there as he sobbed without any tears to come. One would think the boy would cry himself to sleep, but to no avail. He remained awake, scarred blue eyes staring straight ahead emptily.

"Liesel, Rudy! _Kommen Sie, es ist Zeit für das Mittagessen_! Come, it's time for dinner!"

In both rooms, both children jumped at the sound of Ilsa's voice coming from the top of the stairs. Liesel climbed off of the window, her eyes tired and her body weak. Rudy quickly dried his face, but he couldn't hide the puffy redness that came from crying. Frau Hermann slunk back down the stairs, and both children waited until she did so before either stepped out of their rooms. Rudy hobbled out first, then Liesel a few seconds later.

Liesel's brown eyes met Rudy's blue ones, and they held each other's gaze for a moment. Rudy couldn't understand why Liesel's eyes were warm and full with a tender look of almost longing. Liesel wished she wasn't staring into eyes that were broken beyond measure. She offered him a small smile, and he mimicked it, but his was gone rather quickly. He then used his crutches and went down the hall, slowly going down the stairs, across the room, and into the kitchen. Liesel remained in the hallway all the time it took Rudy to get into the dining room.

She understood that neither of them were the same anymore, but she couldn't help but sigh with longing and wonder when the old Rudy would be back - if he ever would be back. Quickly, she dashed down the stairs and sprinted across the main room until she made it into the dining room.

Everyone was already seated by the time she arrived. Frau Hermann was passing around a salad. On each plate was a nice slice of venison. Liesel turned her nose up at it, but knew she was going to eat it anyway. She didn't want to be rude.

She claimed the seat beside Rudy and waited for Ilsa to sit down. Once she did, they said grace, and began eating. Liesel didn't eat much. Rudy didn't seem too hungry, either. She was worried about him, considering he was even more scrawny than usual yet they had been living as if they were kings and queens when it came to the food.

Despite her attempts to force the memories out of her head, Liesel couldn't, and found herself restless in this fact. She remembered first coming onto Himmel Street, her brother dying, her first bath at the Hubermann's…

Memories are like nightmares. They always come up at the worst times, and are quite unexpected. Especially those memories that are painful. Do you know the feeling of when there are happy memories, yet, you are pained to remember them? Every memory seems to have a negative effect, and Liesel was finding this out rather quickly. She was, in fact, being tortured by the memories that were wrapping and swirling and twisting around in her head. She wanted to scream, yank them out, and make them so that they weren't just memories anymore. But memories can never replace reality. In the end, they are just that. Memories, and nothing more. Glimpses of a past long gone, hurtful and overwhelming. No matter how large and great the craving is to make them real again, memories are persistent to stay a distant taste of what the world used to be.

She was slowly going insane, tearing herself apart. The memories were coming faster now, and flashing before her eyes. They ripped her heart to shreds; the remnants of what were left of it after losing her parents.

And Liesel Meminger did the same thing she had done when the LSE officers had originally found her.

She ran.

She simply got up and sprinted out of the room, through the front door, and into the night.

The sky was dark, night falling fast. It wasn't warm, for it was still winter, even if late. The clouds portrayed that of rain, ready to be wrung out on Munich.

The Book Thief didn't stop running.


	5. Wahnsinn

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Book Thief.**

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**Wahnsinn**

_ Insanity_

Madness is like gravity. All it needs is a little push.

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To you, I'm sure it was obvious where the Book Thief ended up in the long run. Oh look, a pun. See? Death does have a sense of humor.

It was slowly beginning to start to rain. A movie director couldn't have played the scene better. A moment of insanity caught on camera, rain pouring down for the effect, and even the distant roll of thunder once in a while. In this situation, the character would be ordered to run to the place that had been driving them insane, as if in some twisted way, it would make them sane again. Hah! If only it worked like that it in real life. A little rain, a few fake tears, then the artificial rain would stop, the set cleared, and everything returning to normal.

That's the thing with movies – the 'stars' never have to endure the actual pain they're characters do. They never know the real pain.

Pain like that Liesel felt.

Ah, let's start back from where we left off…

After running out the front door, she was not inclined to look back. A harsh wind blew against her face, throwing her German brown hair back over her shoulders. The world was falling away behind her as she ran, slowly, ever so slowly, she was recreating Himmel Street. She could see it there, in the distance. The street was glistening at the bottom of the hill. Her feet seemed to be pushing her on, faster and faster, as she went. It was a moment when you had to be glad of spending summer after summer sprinting away from people while holding a good handful of things stolen from various people.

Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran. She felt alive, somehow, for she was running to Heaven – her heaven; Himmel Street. She could almost feel wings on her back that helped her along. Across the streets, through hedges – whatever it took. She was unstoppable.

She could hear her Mama calling to her, yelling out into the street, _"Saumensch, where are you?!"_ It was past dark. She was alone. Mama was going to kill her!

Rain drops began falling profoundly, soaking her hair rather quickly. Her dress was soaked and the edges were tattered with mud. Up ahead, Himmel Street was waiting for her. Why had she gone so far? She looked back, seeing the Mayor's house. Oh, she must've been in the library again. She ran a little faster.

Suddenly, she was pulled down, and she slid a good five meters before stopping. She lifted up her hands and examined herself, a look of disgust on her face. _"I'm covered in shit!" _She glanced over, seeing Rudy sitting by her side, also shaking mud off his hands. "It's not shit, it's mud," She retorted, though she had her doubts.

***** THE TRUTH *****

**It was only in her head.**

**But I'm sure you figured that out already.**

Rudy got up and extended a hand to help her up. She took it and was hauled up. She smiled at her imaginary Rudy. "We better get back. Mama's going to kill me…" She said, looking back at her dress.

Rudy scowled. "You look fine to me."

Liesel laughed and began running again, Rudy running by her side.

By the time she reached Himmel, the mud had basically been washed off. It was raining hard, puddles of mud littering the ground. She splashed through them, not caring about her dress anymore. She watched Rudy disappear into his house, and she approached her own. She stared at the warm lights coming from the window, and she could see Mama cooking in the kitchen, stirring something in a large bowl. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Soup again.

She walked up the front yard and up to the door, where she stopped.

From a third person's perspective, all you would see was a broken girl standing on top a pile of rubble, waiting to be let inside an imaginary door. When the imaginary door did open, she was confronted by her imaginary parents. _"__Was zum Teufel taten Sie?! What the hell did you do!?"_ Her Mama snarled. Her Papa put his paper down on the table, a cigarette in his mouth. His lips slowly curved into a smile, his silver eyes twinkling. He understood.

"_Bath, now!"_ Mama ordered, grabbing Liesel's ear and pulling it back painfully. She shrieked, and let herself be pulled along down the hall and into the washroom.

I saw the Book Thief that night.

A young soul had just passed away somewhere over the hill, and I was taking the long way to my next destination. It's not like the soul was going anywhere, but at the same time, I didn't know why I was taking my time. I almost knew I would run into her again.

Standing at the top of Himmel Street, I overlooked the ruin and saw her running towards it. With the soul in my arms, I had the overwhelming feeling to stuff it into my pocket and follow her. And I did. But there was something else in my pocket. It suddenly felt like a ten pound weight at that single moment.

***** ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO *****

**When the Book Thief and the boy with hair the color of lemons**

**Were taken away to the Hospital**

**I still had work to do.**

**I saw something there in the rubble.**

**The exact thing that had kept the Book Thief alive.**

**I picked it up.**

**I held onto it.**

I felt it burning now, and my hand slid in to take it out. I held the Book Thief's story in my hands, looking from her to the book, and back again. I walked a little closer. And I walked, and I walked, and I walked, until I was standing at the base of what used to be the front yard. I stared at the Book Thief. Her hair was much darker now because of the rain. Shadows made her face look thinner and paler. She was caked with mud and soaked to the bone. She was shivering because of the heavy rain and the cold of winter.

As if sensing my presence, she turned around.

She saw me.

She glared. "Why me?"

I did not answer. It was against my nature. I wasn't _supposed _to answer. I just stared at her.

"You have my Mama and Papa," She said now, her voice growing slowly angrier. "Why did you leave me without them?"

I realized I shouldn't have stayed.

But she wasn't finished yet. She advanced towards me, her brown eyes roasting. "You left me here alone!"

She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She picked up a sharp piece of brick and threw it at me, somehow managing to cut her own hand before she did so. She didn't feel the slice of it, though, and she stared emptily as blood trickled down from her hand.

I've said this before and I shall say it now; Death does have a heart. I couldn't help it. It was involuntary. I knelt down in front of her, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I didn't leave you alone," I whispered. I broke every rule I had at that moment. Not only had I allowed the living to see me, watch me, but I also allowed her to hear my voice, feel my touch. Later she would write how she could feel a cold hand on her shoulder, and yet there was no one in view. She knew it was Death. She knew me way too well.

The perfect moment happened just as the Book Thief shrugged away my cold hand. She was about to protest when, from up the street, there was a voice. "LIESEL!"

Teary eyed, she looked up. Her bloody hand wiped away the tears, streaking the metallic liquid across her face. Her hand continued to bleed. She glanced up the street, squinting against the rain as someone hobbled down. The voice was familiar, but it was drowned out by the downpour.

I stood up and laughed. Liesel's head snapped in my direction, but I became quiet. "I told you I didn't leave you alone," I whispered. She slowly got up, weakly standing, but threatening to topple over.

_Rudy?_ She thought. _What is he doing out here?_

"Dammit, _Saumensch_!" He cursed loudly. He approached the house, and Liesel noticed the fact that he wasn't using his crutches. He looked in a considerable amount of pain, but relief clouded his blue eyes as he saw her. He, too, was covered in mud. "What the hell are you doing out here?" He snapped, yelling at her as if she were a child.

"Me? What are _you_ doing out here? Your leg…it's broken!"

"Yeah, so?"

An awkward silence fell upon them. Rudy moved passed Liesel and sat down on the pile of Liesel's house. He winced and gasped in pain, his face paling as he did. Liesel moved towards Rudy and sat beside him, looking at the cut on her hand.

"You're all bloody," Rudy stated.

"You're covered in shit."

"It's not shit, it's mud." He snorted.

Liesel's mouth formed a sad, absurd smile.

"Rudy, why did you come down here?" Tears were leaking from her eyes again as she stared up at the clouds. She was thankful it was raining, for they masked her tears. The only thing she couldn't fight was the catch in her throat.

I sat across the street, watching the two. I couldn't leave yet. Not yet. The Book Thief's story was burning a hole in my pocket once again.

"I made a promise, didn't I?" He smiled meekly, placing his hand atop hers.

Liesel's heart fluttered in the midst of her heartache. _Kiss him, Liesel…do it…_

She didn't kiss him.

Bright headlights appeared on the street followed by the roar of an engine. Liesel and Rudy staggered to their feet as the mayor pulled up, looking at the two with a mixture of relief and disappointment. "There you two are," He said hastily, getting out of the car. An umbrella exploded over his head as he rushed over to the two shivering children. Neither had realized they were shivering, but they huddled under the umbrella and into the back of the car.

Liesel was shaking all over, not just from the cold, but from meeting Death once again, and from the memories that perturbed her mind. Her face was dripping with blood, the rain having mixed with it and left it smearing like mascara down her face. She turned her head, eyes locking on Rudy. He was wincing and shivering at the same time.

She felt a pang in her chest as she looked at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never asked you to come after me."

He repeated the words he had said just a few minutes ago. "I made a promise, didn't I? And a promise is a promise." Once again, he placed his hand atop hers. She twisted her hand around so that she could interlace her fingers with his. She caught the small flash of surprise in his eyes, but neither said anything. Vaguely, Rudy was smiling. Liesel was smiling a bit as well.

_End Chapter_

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_**A/N: **Yay! Another update! Thank God for spring break. Because of it, and having no homework, I should be updating regularly. :)


	6. Begräbnis

**Disclaimer: I still don't own The Book Thief. (:**

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**Begräbnis**

_ Funeral_

Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them.

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Liesel was kept under close eye during the next two days. She, for the most part, remained distant and eerie. She didn't often say anything, and was often found in the library sitting with a book in her lap. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Sometimes she thought about Papa, sometimes about Mama, and more than not she would be thinking about Rudy, and how she should be grateful to be alive. Ever since the meeting with me, Liesel hadn't been the same. Somehow, my words had given her hope. Had I managed to change someone's life for the better? Usually when I come around and pluck away another life, it ruins their family. Is it sad that I feel a sense of pride over the fact that I changed someone's life for the better for the first time in…well…ever?

Rudy accompanied Liesel much of the time, and the two became even more inseparable than they had been before. Rudy still cried. He still thought about his parents, he still thought about his sister and his brothers. Liesel, however, was not the only one to have learned something on that stormy night. While he was fighting his emotions as well as the fiery pain that was spiking up his leg as he trailed after the Book Thief, he realized he shouldn't dwell so much on the past. Maybe it was seeing his demolished house, or the demolished street, that had snapped him into consciousness. Either way, neither walked away without something new to think about.

Whenever her friend was not around, Liesel couldn't help but feel a strange emptiness. Whenever he was, her heart tended to skip a beat every now and again, even if they said nothing. She realized he really did care. If only she knew that he had been the one to care all along. It touched her that Rudy had come to find her, even with his broken leg. He had been taken to the doctor later that night, and Liesel was made to stay at home. He came back with a fresh cast and a drunken smile on his face. They had given him stronger pain medication and warned him not to do something like that again. Liesel had stayed up past midnight waiting anxiously for him to return, and even then she stayed up. When Frau Hermann and her husband finally retired to their rooms downstairs, Liesel opened her door, knocked on Rudy's, and then entered.

They're conversation had been short, light.

"_Alles gut, Saukerl_?"

"_Alles gut._"

"What did they say?"

"They gave me medication and put a new cast on."

"Will sorry ever be enough?"

"Save it. I know you're sorry. I didn't ask for you to say sorry, because I'm not sorry."

"_Gute Nacht_,"

"_Gute Nacht, Saumensch._"

With that, Liesel slipped out the door and went back into her room. Sleep refused to overcome her in bed, though, and she remained awake, staring out emptily at the rain as it pattered against the window.

When morning came, she found herself with just as much lifeless energy as she had the day before. She felt fine, despite her blood shot eyes. She went down for breakfast and was quiet the rest of the day.

It had been three days since then, and Rudy silently wondered if Liesel knew how to speak anymore. It was absurd – how quiet she was being. He missed the old Liesel. The one who stole books and wasn't afraid of doing anything. In all due respect, he wasn't too fond of the shell she had become. He was sitting downstairs, dressed in the usual black suit that men wore to funerals. He felt a heavy weight that pulled his heart down into his stomach as he thought about watching his family being buried. Liesel appeared at the top of the stairs, her dress pure black aside from a gray strip that went around her torso and made a bow in the back. She wore a heavy black faux fur-lined jacket over the dress and her hair was let down. She was extremely pale, and she seemed malnourished and sick.

She made it down the stairs and walked over to Rudy, taking a seat on the bench beside the door to the right of him. "I don't want to go," She breathed softly.

"You don't want to be there for your own family's funeral?"

"I don't think I can handle it-"

Heinz and Ilsa walked over, then, each grabbing umbrellas and heavy jackets. "Are you children ready?" Frau Hermann asked with a smile on her face.

"_Ja._" They replied in unison.

"_Gut. Lassen Sie uns gehen._ Let us go."

Liesel and Rudy piled into the back of the car that was now so familiar to them. Liesel moved like a ghost, sweeping along with an empty stare and barely moving ligaments. You could compare her to that of a fallen angel, really. Graceful, in an obscure way. She sat like a porcelain doll in the back seat, her eyes on her hands. When Rudy got situated in the seat next to her, she reluctantly put her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. He stiffened when she put her head on his shoulder, but loosened a bit. She seemed to be barely breathing, and he momentarily wondered if she was in worst position than he was.

She had become much more fragile and frail. She was eating less, even though she wasn't doing it on purpose. She just wasn't hungry. She had looked frail before, but now it was more obvious. All three of them were worried about her state; Frau Hermann and her husband, and Rudy. "Are you okay?" Rudy whispered into Liesel's ear.

She was quiet and didn't say anything for a moment. She inhaled as if she were about to say something, and she seemed to hold that breath, as if pondering what to say. In her mind? She was considering whether to tell him a lie or the truth. In the end, she found herself muttering the latter. "No," and she said nothing further. Rudy's hand found hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He felt her face twist into a strange smile before resuming its straight line position.

"I'm worried about you," Rudy whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of the Hermann's. But both were engrossed in a map, arguing about which way it was to the cemetery.

Liesel stiffened, but didn't respond.

"_What's wrong, Liesel?"_ But Rudy was no longer speaking. It was a voice, deep within her mind.

As if in a trans, she replied in a melancholy, dreamy voice in her head. _"My parents are…gone…"_

"_What else is wrong, Liesel?" _

"_Something is…broken…"_

"_What's broken, Liesel?"_

She paused, her eyes flickering open. _"I am."_

"Liesel?" Rudy's voice shook her out of her imagination, his hand shaking her slightly. She flinched, shooting up straight and looking around madly. "Liesel, what's wrong?" He asked again.

"What? Oh, nothing…" She muttered.

Poor, poor souls. It always felt as if I were closer to them after that. In a way, both of their souls were dying. From wherever I was, I felt a strange pull that seemed to drag me back to the Book Thief and her lemon haired friend. It was one thing when physical beings die, but when both the body and soul are dying, it is another story. I wanted to reach out and give Liesel back her family. I wanted to bring back the happy Jesse Owens and give him his siblings. If there was one thing Rudy loved above soccer and food, it was his family. Oh, and Liesel, but she was considered family.

Liesel sat up, her neck starting to hurt from leaning against Rudy. He grabbed her hand and kept it in his, as if giving her something to hold on to while she explored her mind and memories. A lifeline, really. He started making patterns on the back of her hand gently with his index finger, and he managed to do what he had wanted to. She was distracted, and couldn't delve deeper into her growing depression and vigilant sorrow. Both hurt, but neither knew how to deal with it. Rudy was mastering his own sorrow well. The pain still hurt, but he had cried enough. There was no reason to cry now. He did know that he was going to cry later though. Liesel was just having a hard time letting go.

He didn't push her to tell him what was on her mind, what was going on. If she wanted to tell him, she would. He caressed the back of her hand, though, keeping her mind at ease as he did so. She relaxed a bit, her eyes half-closing. She turned her head towards him, and their eyes locked. Liesel smiled weakly again, but managed to hold the smile on her face.

When they arrived at the cemetery, fog was dancing along the ground. It was a small cemetery. There were many outdated headstones from the nineteenth century littered around. It carried the usual feel of graveyards – the feeling you never truly were alone, and someone was always watching you. It's just a boneyard, though. It was surrounded by forest, but was a beautiful cemetery nonetheless. There were seven coffins in total. Five for Rudy's family, and two for Liesel's. They were sealed shut already. Liesel plastered the image of the coffins into her mind. Mama's was a beautiful white, and there were pink roses on it. Papa's was white, too, but his had sky-blue bands on it.

The priest came next. Since there were only them, it was rather short. The grave diggers came out, lowered the coffins, and began digging the holes. Liesel was reminded of a memory many years ago. Of a similar scene, but only with snow on the ground. She was lucky. I was around that day, I had made a detour. Another long route to my next destination. As the grave diggers were leaving, I dropped something on the ground. It buried itself in the dirt, but Liesel saw it fall. She watched it there. The black book, sitting in the dirt. Rudy and the Hermann's were watching Rudy's family be lowered.

The Book Thief did what she did best. She got up, walked over, crouched down, and picked up the book. It wasn't just _any _book though. It was her book. The book that had saved her life. The book entitled, _The Book Thief._ The story by Liesel Meminger herself. In disbelief, she turned the book over in her hands, running her fingers across the pages in awe. She didn't understand. She looked up, searching for someone. I assumed it was me she was looking for, for she seemed to spot me after a moment. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. I smiled and waved like an old friend. She sat back on her knees and watched me with wide eyes. She slowly waved back.

The gravestones were put at the top of the graves. Liesel sat down by her parent's headstone, watching it as if it would move and they would come back to life. She placed a red rose on the headstone, right by her Papa's name. She didn't cry. She sat there quietly; waiting, hoping, wishing. When she was done staring blankly at the stone, she lifted her eyes to look at Rudy. He was kneeling beside what she assumed was his mother's gravestone, for it was one of the longer graves.

There were many things I wanted to say to the Book Thief that day. But I didn't. I left right after she waved to me. But that day also impacted her. I was just a part of it.

"_Liesel,"_

She looked up, her eyes scanning for something, someone. They narrowed upon a shadowy figure. Her mind had conjured it up. Maybe that was one of those insane moments, when your mind just…_snapped._ But in a way, this made Liesel _sane_ again.

"Papa?"

"_Liesel, it's time._"

"Papa, you're dead…"

He smiled at her warmly. "_The_ _dead are never truly dead until you have forgotten them_."

"You left me."

"_I didn't leave you, Liesel. Just…went away…for a while. I'll always be with you._"

Liesel sighed, bowing her head. Her imaginary Hans disappeared back into the shadows from where he had come. She averted her eyes, noticing Heinz and Ilsa had retreated to their car to give her and Rudy a moment. She got up and walked over to her friend, kneeling beside him and staring at his family's grave. "Rudy, I'm sorry,"

"This isn't your fault."

"But I'm still sorry."

There was an empty silence looming around them in the graveyard. Rudy bowed his head and closed his eyes. "I am, too."

Liesel took Rudy's hand in hers and smiled – an actual smile – warmly at him. "It'll be okay, Rudy. We've still got each other. It'll be alright, just wait and see."

Rudy turned his head, smiling up at her. Both of them started to lean in towards each other. Rudy's hand tilted Liesel's chin down.

***** SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND *****

**They didn't get their kiss.**

"Rudy, Liesel, are you two ready to go?" Heinz stepped out of the car and waved at them to get their attention.

Liesel blushed, turning away and getting up quickly. She extended a hand to help Rudy up, for he was still in his cast and had the broken leg. Rudy's face was flushed, too.

Silently, they climbed back into the car. They didn't acknowledge each other in the back. In fact; they stayed to their sides and acted as though the other didn't exist.

_____________.x!

When they arrived back at the Hermann estate, Liesel and Rudy were met with the surprise at Herr Hermann and Frau Hermann were going to be leaving for the evening. Frau Hermann told them that dinner was already made for them; all they needed to do was take it out and warm it up in the oven. They nodded along as they reestablished the rules of the house. They were not to go in the Hermann's room, not to get into anything they weren't supposed to, no tracking mud through the house, no disorganizing the book shelf, and every other small thing that every child their age knew better than to do.

After they were done being lectured, Liesel disappeared into her room and changed out of the dress that was muddy from her sitting on the ground beside her parent's grave. She put on a pale yellow dress, braided her hair, and went back downstairs where Rudy was waiting in the library.

She walked over and pulled up a chair. He was sitting at the desk with a book before him. When he heard Liesel come in, he slammed it shut and pushed it off to the side. She took the seat opposite of him, and slid a thin black book across the table. It was covered in dust, and partly singed. The cover was burned, and so were some of the pages, but it was still readable. Rudy opened up the book and flipped through the pages, remembering this book. The pages were still crinkled from drying after they had been wet down by the Amper River.

His lips turned into a small smile. "I saved this stupid book from the river. And nearly froze to death because of it." He snorted out the last sentence.

"This is what saved my life." Liesel said softly, looking at the book tenderly.

"_Was?_"

"The night of the bomb…I was editing it, down in the basement."

"Ah," He mumbled, turning the pages again, skim reading it.

"Rudy?"

"_Saumensch_?"

"What were you doing that night?"

Rudy looked away. "Writing a letter to my dad," He mumbled. He flipped through another page of _The Book Thief_, turning the page over in his hand and skim reading it mindlessly.

"He could still be alive then," Liesel said in a lighter tone. "You may not be alone!"

He shook his head, looking up at her with his piercing blue eyes. "I already told you I'm not alone. We've got each other. If he was going to come back, he would have. Everyone was allowed leave after the bomb. He's probably gone…"

"They would've sent a letter-"

"-And he would've showed up."

"Rudy…"

"Just let it go."

Without saying anything more, he got up and left. Liesel sighed, putting her face in her hands and groaning in frustration.

_End Chapter_


	7. Unerwarteter Besucher

**Unerwarteter Besucher**

_ Unexpected Visitor_

The more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is.

Liesel remained there for a fair amount of time. She heard Rudy come down for dinner at some point, but she still made no motion to get up. She dug her nails into her scalp and forced herself to at least do something productive. She grabbed a pencil on the opposite side of the desk and turned to the part where she had last left off when editing her story. Of course, it was the part where she had been talking about Rudy. She muttered something under her breath, but it wasn't understandable.

She worked hastily. She scribbled out words and crossed sentences out with such intensity that she almost ripped through the paper. She got through a good ten pages before her hand began to hurt and she put down the pencil. She jumped, seeing someone at the other end of the room. Rudy leaned in the doorway, narrowing his blue eyes on her. "Are you going to eat?" She noticed he had a plate of food in his hands. She shook her head, turning back to her book, wondering to herself how long he had been standing there. Rolling his eyes, he walked over, slid the plate across the desk, and then took a seat beside her. "You _have_ to eat."

"I don't _have_ to do anything." She snorted.

Rudy snatched her book and replaced it with the plate of food. "But you're _choosing _to edit that."

"Choosing and forcing are two different things, _Saukerl_!"

"_Saumensch,_ what's your problem?"

"Nothing!" She answered a little too quickly.

He put his hands up in a surrendering position, not wanting to fight with her, but curious all the same to find out what was with the mood swings. She had a right to be sad earlier, and she had a right to be sad now, but he didn't understand the harshness of her tone. She stared blankly at the food before her, and then shifted to look at the book that was now in Rudy's possession. "Give me my book back." She said warningly.

"What are you going to do about it?" He smiled, getting up and backing away as fast as he could with the cast on. He shook the book at her tauntingly.

Liesel couldn't see his point, for he had an injured leg and really wouldn't stand a chance against her. Either way, she leaped up and dashed after him, coming upon him within seconds. Being taller than her, he easily kept it out of her reach. She didn't want to attack him and hurt him even more, so she was left with having to try and jump up for the book. "Rudy, I'm not in the mood!" She snapped, clawing at his arm and ripping his flesh to draw a thin line of blood.

"Yes, you're in more of a _kill Rudy_ mood." He smiled, maneuvering away from her and limping out of the room. She kept up with him easily, still attempting to get her book back.

"_Saukerl_!" She snarled.

"That's not going to get your book back." He said with a cocky smile.

"Oh, and what will?" She tried jumping again.

Rudy's eyes shimmered, his words echoing that of the past. "How about a kiss, _Saumensch_?"

Liesel felt her heart drop, but tried not to let the emotion set in her eyes. _Do it, do it, do it,_ her mind chanted. _Just say yes._ She narrowed her chocolate eyes, shouting back, "_NO!"_ but she couldn't help but smile.

He sighed. "I figured that would be your answer." And with his arm, he pushed her out of the way and managed to get a few steps ahead again.

She went after him again, jumping up and grabbing on to her book. She ripped it out of Rudy's hands and held it up triumphantly.

"I let you have it," He said.

She crossed her arms and stared him down, but in the end, she was the one that was being stared down. Grumbling, she turned around and marched back into the library. "_Saumensch,_" Rudy hissed, following her into the room. "You need to eat!" He said, shoving the plate back towards her. They were back at square one.

"I'm not hungry," She replied, grabbing the pencil and reopening her book.

"That's not a good enough answer."

"You need to eat more than I do! You have the broken leg!"

"What does a broken leg have to do with eating?"

She glared at him.

"Lighten up, will you?"

"No!"

"What's gotten into you? You were fine earlier." He snapped.

"Nothing, Rudy! Just drop it! Can't you leave me alone?"

Her words pierced Rudy like a dagger to the heart. He felt his heart sink, and he shrunk away into the shadows of the library, not bothering with Liesel anymore. _Fine, if she wants to be like that, I don't care._

Liesel looked up to see him sitting with his head lowered and looking like a struck puppy. _He was only trying to help, _she heard her Papa's voice whisper. "Rudy, I-"

They heard a car pull up in the driveway. They both jumped up from their seats and rushed to the great room, looking for the Hermann's. Liesel wanted to see them, wish them goodnight, and then get away from Rudy.

When the door finally opened, both of them were in shock to see both Hermann's dripping wet, their faces lit by the lighting in the room, but looking rather pale. They both were staring awkwardly at Rudy.

The two children were standing by each other's side, Liesel looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but there.

Liesel took a step back, and the two adults came in. Every smile they had shared in that few minutes past was gone now. The two Hermann's were dead serious, and something looked terribly wrong. Rudy averted his eyes at the two advancing adults. "Is…is something wrong?" he stammered out.

Nobody had to say anything. Behind them, the door had been left open. Standing on the porch, silhouetted by the rain, was a man in shreds. His face was darkened, for he wasn't standing completely in the light of the porch. He took a step inside, his jacket dripping wet and making puddles on the ground. His dark hair was plastered to his face, and his eyes were a dark shade of blue. His eyes locked on Rudy.

Rudy and Liesel both gasped at the same time.

***** THAT MAN? *****

**Alex Steiner.**

"Rudy?" The man's voice was very husky and soft, sounding as if it gave him a great deal of pain to say that name.

"Papa?" Rudy whispered softly, walking slowly forward.

The man's eyes lit up as he ran forward and embraced his son. Rudy didn't mind the wet. He wondered when the last time his father had worn anything warm was, for he was shivering and shaking, which made him wonder if it was from the cold or from seeing him alive. Rudy felt tears streaming down his face, and he heard his father crying, too, holding him tighter, not ever wanting to let go.

***** DUDEN DICTIONARY MEANING #9 *****

_**Neid **_**– Envy:**

**A feel of covetousness or discontent to another's possessions**

**Related Words: **_**covet, desire,**__**thirst, yearn.**_

Standing off to the side, with her hair in her face, the Book Thief stood with her eyes locked on the sight before her. She felt something growing inside her stomach. It wasn't the butterfly feeling she had felt earlier. It was a reproachful feeling. One that made her ache with unease. Ordinarily, she would've been happy for Rudy. But now, she wasn't.

She stared at Alex and Rudy Steiner with jealousy. The first thing she thought? _He isn't alone._ She dwelled on this for a moment. Alex Steiner was alive, very much alive, indeed. He was walking fine. He was breathing. But what else did this mean? _I'm alone._ Herr Steiner was fine. He was walking. He was breathing. He could make money. He could take Rudy home. He could take him away from her. She saw the teary joy in Rudy's eyes as he held onto his father. She felt herself beginning to burn, then. The horrible pit in her stomach grew and grew until it consumed her whole body.

"Herr Steiner, it is so good to see you again," Herr Hermann said happily. Father and son broke up, and Herr Steiner shook Herr Hermann's hand gratefully.

"Thank you, so much - for keeping him safe." He said graciously, his other hand clasped on Rudy's shoulder.

"It was no problem at all," Ilsa said, stepping in. "We were astonished he was alive. Everyone else was wiped out."

_And what am I?_ Liesel thought, slowly slinking back into the shadows. Just like that, she was forgotten. She felt regret seeping in for yelling at Rudy earlier. She wanted to kick herself for bringing up the fact that Herr Steiner might still be alive. She felt as though she had jinxed them.

But how was it a jinx? She had reunited father and son.

Ah, but it was a jinx.

For now father was leaving with son.

Tears filling her eyes, she ran up the stairs.

***** IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING *****

**No one even noticed she was gone.**

_End Chapter_

_

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_

**A/N: **Sorry for being late with this, and that it's really short. It was difficult to write. I don't know why. Thanks, again, for all your kind reviews. :) Keep an eye out for the next chapter!


	8. Der Tag Danach

**A/N: **Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long update! I suffered extreme writers block, and got caught up in school again. Ack! No fun! Thank you all for the kind reviews. Truthfully, you're the reason I keep going. You're all awesome. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Book Thief. But don't we all wish we did?

* * *

**Der Tag Danach**

_ The Day After_

What we have here is a dreamer- someone completely out of touch with reality. When she jumped off of the roof, she probably thought she could fly.

* * *

When everyone else had returned to bed, Liesel remained awake for a great deal of the night, eyes growing bloodshot and weak. She was too tired to sleep, and honestly didn't want to sleep. She was numb, inside and out. She felt stupid for missing all her chances at kissing the notorious Rudy Steiner, which she found herself longing for. Just on kiss. She felt more tears spring into her eyes as she recalled his words from Hubert oval, so many years ago; _One day, Liesel, you'll be dying to kiss me. _She buried er face in her hands. _Oh Rudy, can't you see that I am?_

Another sobbing fit took over her, and her nightgown was well stained with tears. She stared emptily out at the street, sick with herself for crying over a boy. _He's not _just _a boy, _her heart cackled in a complete mocking way.

Like in a fairytale, there came a knock at the door. Oh, look, the prince in shining armor! But…not quite. She rolled onto her side, facing the wall and squeezed her eyes shut. "Go away!" She croaked, voice cracking. Silence. There was no sound of retreating footsteps. However, the door opened and someone stepped in. "I said go away!" She screamed, sitting up and throwing a pillow at the intruder. He easily caught it before it struck him in the face. He lowered it, golden hair dark in the light and blue eyes filled with concern.

"Liesel," his voice was soft, tired. His eyes looked drowsy, but still filled with warm concern. He crept over and reached over to her with his hand and he sat on the bed. She shied away, glaring at him and curling her knees up against her chest. "What's wrong with you?" He said softly, not in a cruel way. She continued to glare, angry with the amount of concern in his voice, also confused by it. "It's past two in the morning, Liesel."

_You, Saukerl! You are what's wrong. _She spat silently.

As if reading her mind, he sat up a little straighter. "Are you blaming this on me? What did I do?"

Still, she remained silent.

"Liesel , please, just talk to me."

She looked up, eyes filled with ice. "Get out, _Saukerl_! Just, get _out_! Go back to your _father_! You're _family_ that's _alive_! Leave! Leave like I knew you would!" She was spitting venom now, shaking from all the emotional buildup.

Rudy's face contorted with anger and pain. He got up and stormed out of the room, but making sure to quietly shut the door. How dare she?! He wasn't goin to leave her! A promise _s _a promise! He was about to go to his room and completely forget about her when he heard her feet hit the floor as she wobbled out of bed. The pillow made impact with the door, then, and he heard her knees hit the floor. Her sobs were muffled, but still audible from behind the door. He heard his name, and paused.

"Rudy…" she croaked. "Please…I didn't mean it…" She was sobbing more violently now. "Rudy, Rudy…please, Rudy…" She coughed. "Can't you forgive me?"

He let out a frustrated sigh, not being able to stay angry with her. But halfway through his empty of breath, he stopped breathing altogether.

"Dammit, Rudy! I love you!" She cried then. "_Saukerl_! Why can't you see it? It's just like you said. You were right. I would be dying to kiss you." There was a pause. "I'm dying to kiss you, Rudy Steiner." She said softly before her cries became quieter, but her breathing was still harsh and he could hear her coughing.

A good half hour past, and he hadn't moved. She had stopped completely, running out of tears to shed and reasons to cry. He didn't know what to do, so he stood there. When he couldn't hear her muffled sobs or choking cough, he slowly cracked open the door to see her curled up on the ground, dead asleep. He stalked over, careful not to wake her. He, testing his strength, miraculously managed to pick her up and – unfortunately – drop her on the bed. He stood there, frozen for a moment. She didn't move. She was fast asleep. She was muttering things. He caught air of his name, and the edges of his mouth turned up in a smile. He pulled the covers up to her chest and couldn't help but stare at her. She was so peaceful asleep. Calm, not stressed.

And with that, he leaned down, pausing a few inches above her forehead, and planted a light kiss there. His eyes glanced down at her face, swearing to himself that he noticed the edges of her lips also turn up in a smile. Her words kept replaying over and over in his mind. _"Dammit, Rudy! I love you!"_

_____________.x!

Liesel woke up late. By the time she began to stir, everyone had already finished breakfast. It had been agreed that Alex Steiner would be allowed to stay until he had enough money to buy himself and Rudy a proper home, as well as provide for him. She sat up in bed, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. She briefly wondered how she managed to get back into bed, knowing she had fallen asleep on the floor.

There was a soft knock on the door that made her lift her head lazily, but she remained quiet. "Liesel?" Frau Hermann's voice came softly through the door.

"Com in," She said quietly.

Ilsa entered, took one look at her, and gasped. "Good God," she said with an exasperated expression. "What happened to you?"

It was obvious she had been crying. She turned away, her cheeks red. "Long night," She said truthfully.

"Was ist los? What is wrong?" She sat at the edge of Liesel's bed, her hand on the child's knee.

"Everything," She replied sadly.

"Anything I can do to help, dear?"

She looked up, eyes falling on Ilsa Hermann. Ilsa pitied the girl in her broken state. It broke her heart, honestly, to have to see her like that. "Can…can you send Rudy in?"

Frau Hermann smiled. "Of course." With that, she got up and walked out of the room, leaving Liesel in silence. She sighed, grabbing her pillow and bringing it to her lap before lifting it to her face where she let out a muffled groan. When she looked up, she jumped and squeaked in surprise. He was just standing there, leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed, and he looked rather annoyed and upset with her. "…Hi, Rudy."

He nodded, giving her the notion that he was paying attention. He narrowed his eyes in a 'what-do-you-want' look. His expression showed he was mad at her, but it only proved how good of an actor he could be. Truthfully, all of his anger had flooded when she had her breakdown last night. _"Dammit, Rudy! I love you!"_ He resisted giving a cocky smile. Still, he couldn't help but wait for a face-to-face apology. He tapped his fingers impatiently.

"Rudy, I'm sorry," She whimpered, not able to look at his face.

He stepped into the room and silently closed the door. "I was only trying to help," he said, smiling slightly as he sat down on the edge of the bed, taking the place of Ilsa Hermann.

She got up and scooted over to him, sitting by his side, only cross-legged on her bed. "Are you and your dad leaving, Rudy? Are you leaving?" Tears were welling in her eyes, and one began to slide down her face.

Rudy's hand reached out and wiped away the tear, making her heart flutter at the touch. "I made a promise." He said sincerely, looking her in the eyes. She felt herself melting, and she allowed a smile to appear on her face. Rudy made to remove his hand, but Liesel couldn't help but grab it and hold it to her face. He smiled, caressing her cheek softly. "I…" his voice trailed off, "I heard you…last night…after I left…"

It was an instant reaction. Liesel sat bolt upright, scooting back a bit.

"Did…you really mean what you…said? I mean, after everything else?"

Her face flushed, and she looked down at her hands, fiddling with them mindlessly. "I…don't know what you mean…" She lied, trying to hide her face behind her mess of hair.

Rudy took in a deep breath. "Liesel Meminger," She stared at him as he spoke. That was the first time he had ever used her full name. "Lieben Sie mich? Do you love me?"

For some unknown reason, she felt her eyes blur with tears. She opened her mouth to answer, but Ilsa Hermann came in, a smile on her face and a tray of food in her hands. "Here you go, Liesel," She said happily. "Oh, hello, Rudy, I didn't know you were still in here. Would you give us some privacy?"

He smiled, dipped his head, and left. She wanted to reach out and beg him to stay, but she let him go, following him with her eyes. He didn't turn around, not once. She sighed, looking back at Frau Hermann. She set the tray on Liesel's lap. Eggs and toast. She took the piece of bread and took a few bites from it, Ilsa Hermann combing out the tangles in her hair and putting it into pigtails. "You don't have to do this," Liesel said in a hushed voice. Frau Hermann gave her a look. "But I really appreciate it," She added quickly.

Finishing with Liesel's hair, she got up and pulled out a simple, brown dress from the closet. She finished her breakfast and put on the dress, smiling thankfully at Frau Hermann. "_Danke_," She said, putting on her best fake smile. She grabbed a long, black coat that was slightly too big for her (it had been the Hermann's daughter's, therefore quite old) and put it on. She disappeared into the bathroom, where she washed her face to clear away the tracks of tears.

***** AFTER SHE WAS DONE *****

**She walked out of the room, down the hall, following down the stairs**

**And into the Great Room, scanning for Rudy. Seeing as he wasn't there,**

**She walked out the door and saw him standing at the end of the drive.**

He waved to her, a smile on his face. Liesel smiled back, trotting down the drive way and standing beside him. "I've got something to show you," he said with a cocky grin.

She rolled her eyes. "But what about your leg?"

"We're just going around the corner."

Shrugging, she followed after him, walking beside him with her head down. Her eyes were still bloodshot and stung as a wind brushed up against her cheeks. They walked down the road until they went into a garden, softly coated with a layer of snow. They made their way deep into the public garden filled with dead flowers. Liesel dusted off a stone bench and sat on it, smiling up at Rudy awkwardly. Her childhood friend took a seat next to her.

"Since we were rudely interrupted -" Rudy began but Liesel quickly cut him off.

"She has every right to! Do you know what she's done for -"

"I know!" He snapped.

She crossed her arms.

"You never answer my question, or…you never got a chance to."

"Rudy, I…" her voice trailed off.

His blue eyes were sparkling. She nervously played with the end of her hair, looking down at the ground. Her face was beginning to flush again.

"H-how…how much did you hear…last night?"

"_Alles__davon__._ All of it."

She swallowed hard. "Jedes Wort." She smiled then, chocolate brown eyes flashing up to look at him. "Every word."

They sat in complete silence, Liesel looking straight ahead, and Rudy trying to follow her gaze. Neither knew what to say.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Liesel spoke first. She turned her head towards him, and she tipped it to the side curiously. He turned his head towards her, too, seeing the mischief in her eyes and gave her a confused look. Her voice was soft and barely audible. "_Wie steht's mit einem Kuss, Saukerl_? How about a kiss, _Saukerl_?" Before Rudy could respond, Liesel Meminger pressed her lips against his. Caught off guard, Rudy threatened to pull back, but realization flooded over and he became aware of what was happening. Liesel Meminger _finally _kissed him. The world exploded behind her closed eyes. The kiss she had so longed for finally came.

_End Chapter_

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_Review, my minions? xD


	9. Leben Geht Weiter

**Lesben Geht Weiter**

_ Life goes on_

Time goes on, life goes on, and all I can think of is why you're gone.

* * *

The moment they kissed happened so fast, it seemed to carry Liesel off her feet before dropping her abruptly down when they both reluctantly pulled away. There had been something about the way Rudy's hand seemed to burn through her arm and the way his soft, warm lips had been against hers. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours, until Rudy _schmunzel_edand she hit him on the arm. _Way to ruin the moment._ "_Saukerl_," She breathed, making a face of disgust at him.

"You don't mean that," He said with a cocky grin.

Her hands coiled into fists, but she said nothing, for he was right. And at this point, it was pointless to try and cause an argument with him. Instead, she smiled, and Rudy took it that she had given in, which made his smile broaden a bit, but Liesel, thankfully, didn't notice.

"Liesel, Rudy? _Wo sind Sie?_ Where are you?" Herr Hermann's voice made them both jump, and it even made Liesel jump up completely. He appeared at the white picket fence, gazing over at the two by the bench and the alarm on Liesel's face. He couldn't help but smile. "Rudy, your father is looking for you." He said softly, knowing he interrupted something.

Rudy and Liesel looked at each other, him biting his lip, not wanting to leave. She smiled half-heartedly and nodded, letting him go. He got up and left with Heinz, leaving Liesel to her thoughts. But she didn't mind. She sat there, and she smiled, her heart fluttering. She didn't get up to follow them, and when she was sure they were gone, she laughed a bit.

It was January, 1945.

In a way, the world ended, but when one door closes, another one opens.

_____________.x!

***** AN INTERLUDE FROM YOUR NARRATOR *****

**I was still busy, even if not in Munich.**

**Bombs still dropped. Souls still needed to be whisked away.**

**Thank God, though, that it was all ending soon.**

I know what you're thinking. Why do I need a vacation? I'm _Death_. This is my job. Yes, well, am I not allowed to not _like_ my job? There have been people pleading in the past. Yes, I've met people who have tried to bargain with me. Who do they think I am, Davey Jones? I may not carry a scythe or the typical black robe that you so greatly associate me with, but I don't make bargains. That's another thing I won't do.

Moving on…

The next year for Liesel went by fast, in a slow way. Things were slow and uneventful, for the most part. I think I should note that, for there will be a bit of jumping around between the _eventful_ moments. It will go in order, so don't worry about getting lost. Just listen closely. It's a long year, even if it did go by fast.

Shall we proceed?

_____________.x!

_** Early April, 1945**_

She sat in the backyard, the spring wind brushing against her face. A book sat in her lap, but she wasn't reading it, rather, staring emptily out at the house in front of her. A sigh emitted from her mouth and her mind was off in a far off place, lost in memories.

"Liesel?"

Startled, she came back to reality with the realization that Alex Steiner was standing across the lawn. She gave a weary smile of acknowledgement.

"Have you seen Rudy?"

"Frau Hermann took him to the doctor concerning his leg. They should be back soon."

"Thank you,"

"Why?"

"Oh, I…had news for him. I got a job."

"That's great!"

He smiled at her. "Thanks. I got my tailoring shop back."

"Congradulations, Herr Steiner." She smiled again.

He nodded, a smile on his face, before disappearing back into the house.

She turned back to her book, deciding to finally read it. She got through about three pages, though, and that was it. She got interrupted after that. Someone was on top of the fence. She caught the movement in the corner of her eye, and she, again, sat bolt upright in her seat and looked over at the fence. Someone dropped down from it. She made a confused face, and then realized who it was.

There was Rudy Steiner, smiling faced, and _running_ over to her.

She jumped up, looking at him in awe. "Rudy? Your…leg…" And then she saw that his cast was off. "Your cast is gone!"He sprinted the rest of the way over, and Liesel jumped up to meet him. She was met with a large hug, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I bet you're still supposed to take it easy." She said into his ear.

"Yeah," he said softly. "It is a bit sore." He admitted.

"But still glad the cast is gone," She said.

"Exactly."

"Oh, your Papa was looking for you."

"Why?" He looked alarmed.

"Go find out," She said, beaming a little. Rudy ventured off to go find his dad. A few minutes later, there was a cry of happiness, and she grinned.

_____________.x!

**Late April, 1945**

After Herr Steiner had gotten his shop up, he had been as busy as ever. He had to make the clothing for the mannequins, make the clothing in general, and all the things that kept him away from Liesel and Rudy. With more money being brought to the house – slowly, as the business was taking to a slow start – Liesel and Rudy were faced with a dreadful call.

School.

Munich's court had sent them both letters that they were to attend the Realschule school down the street. Both were uneasy about this, especially Liesel.

It had been a week since they got their letters, and they were dropped off at the front of a large school by Frau Hermann. She bid them good luck and had departed.

They stood side-by-side, staring at the large building before them. Liesel clutched a binder close to her chest, biting her lip nervously. "We don't _have _it go," She said softly, trying to tell herself the words she wished were true.

Rudy's eyes met hers. "Yes, we do."

"But, I –"

He _schmunzel_ed. "Afraid?"

She looked offended. "No!"

"Then let's go!" He grabbed her arm and looped it through his, moving her along encouragingly and smiling as her breath hitched for a moment.

Rudy pulled out his schedule, snatching Liesel's from the cover of her binder and skimming it. "Don't worry. We share the same classes, minus math. It'll be fine."

She paused at the doors, remembering the _watshen_'s the nuns used to give her, and she cringed.

He sighed, leaning against the brick wall casually. "What's on your mind, _Saumensch_?"

Everyone around was beginning to stare now. The others with blond hair and blue eyes were watching the duo with scrutinizing eyes, knowing they didn't belong here, but didn't say anything/ Like any middle school, they would glare at silently mock them and their attempts to fit in. But, they weren't trying to fit in. For now, they remained silent. Liesel noted their looks, and thought how great it was to have Rudy by her side. She gave a weak smile. "I was thinking about that failed reading test _you_ signed me up for. The one I got the _watshen _for?"

He inwardly cringed, remembering her stumbling over the words and nearly breaking into tears. She had gotten so angry… "That's not gonna happen here, Liesel."

She was still hesitant, and she paused there without moving. She wouldn't go if she didn't want to.

Rudy grumbled irritably. "We don't want to be late. Besides, you can easily beat someone up again and nearly kill them, along with some random twitching freak." He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes, stifling a laugh. "Tommy wasn't a freak. He was our friend."

Rudy said nothing, only went through the glass doors. Liesel followed closely behind, stringing her arm through his again for comfort. They walked to the front desk, eyes falling on a petite blond sitting behind the desk with a book on her desk. She looked up at them and smiled. "_Hallo, Liesel und Rudy. __Wie sind Sie heute? Herzlich willkommen in Ihren ersten Tag nach der Rückkehr zur Schule!_ Hello, Liesel and Rudy. How are you today? Welcome to your first day back to school!" She smiled, stepped out from behind the desk, and shook their hands. "My name is Frau Eichel, and I'll be showing you two around today. Right this way, please."

Liesel shot Rudy a pleading glance, and he mirrored it with a 'give-it-a-chance' look.

First, they had science class, which was a disaster. Liesel and Rudy sat on opposite sides of the room, and they were doing a lab that day. Liesel, not having done well in science, ever, was a complete mess. Her partner knew what she was doing, but, trying to be nice and invite Liesel into helping, only found themselves in chaos. They were working with chemicals in chemistry, and Liesel put in a bit too much of one of the ingredients and suddenly… "Liesel, no!"

_BOOM!_

Slimy green liquid covered both girls at the table, also splattering on the people before and behind them. Some girls screamed. Liesel's mouth was open as she wiped slime off her face. Thankfully it wasn't toxic.

"Liesel, _Sieh mich nach der Klasse_. See me after class."

She did, and while she was being chewed out, Rudy waited loyally for her. When she came out with a smile on her face, Rudy couldn't help but laugh and say, "No _watshen_s then?"

She casually hit him, and they walked to their next class.

Next was English, where they would sit in the same classroom while the teacher rotated out after the class was finished and Art was brought in, finally ending with math before a break for lunch. After lunch was PE, and then French and Social Studies (History) in another room. The school day ended at 2:30pm.

They managed to snag a seat next to each other, somewhat in the middle of the class. A perfect spot. Liesel felt more comfortable having him beside her. The accident in science hadn't made her feel any better, and she had slime on the hem of her dress. Her wavy hair was also knotted a bit.

The teacher walked in, introducing himself as Herr Sankt. He was tall, scrawny, and had brown hair with dark brown eyes. Dangerous eyes. Liesel stared at him awkwardly before he addressed them. "Ah! The two new students!" Liesel looked down, not liking all the attention. Everyone was staring enough as it was.

When class finally started, and Herr Sankt took to the chalk board to write up the lesson, Liesel looked down to find a nicely folded note on her book. She glanced at Rudy, who, noticing her looking at him, looked over at her, then down at the note. Knowing what she was wondering; he shrugged. It had her name on it in a thick, scrawly handwriting. A boys handwriting, typically.

She glanced up at the professor, then slid the note onto her lap and unfolded it.

_Liesel,_

_You've got something on your dress. Oh wait! That's right, it's your fault. How could you screw up at that simple assignment? Despite being stupid, you are pretty. Want to hang out sometime?_

_-Joseph Vogler_

She felt her blood grow hot with anger. How could this boy have such nerve? She turned around, searching for the naïve _Arschloch__._ One of the boys sitting at the table behind her flashed a cocky grin. She narrowed her eyes on him, glaring at him as if he were the Füher himself.

Rudy, having read over her shoulder, linked his arm with hers, sending daggers at the boy. Instinctively, Liesel scooted a bit closer to Rudy. She mouthed the word, "_Schwein_."

"_Fräulein Meminger, Gibt es ein Problem_? Miss Meminger, is there a problem?"

"_Nein, Herr_," She said softly. "No, sir,"

"Good. Please pay attention then,"

The rest of class passed by slowly. They were put in groups and had to come up with poems. Every now and again Liesel would see the Vogler boy giving her strange looks. She always looked at Rudy anxiously whenever she saw him like that, but Rudy being protective didn't seem to stop him from looking at her that way.

The teachers rotated, and a dark blond woman in her mid-twenties stepped in. Her hair was long and laired, she also had streaks of lighter colors throughout it. Her eyes were gray, like storm clouds. The art teacher. She gave off the air that she was a happy person, and she was very creative. She seemed ecstatic at the sight of Rudy and Liesel. She was Fräulein Keiser.

"Klasse? Today we will be sketching a place you miss a lot. Your old home? Old school? A playground? It can be anything. As long as it is a place. You are to draw yourself here, as well. Next week, these will be transferred to watercolor paintings. Oh, and welcome, Liesel and Rudy! We are happy to have you. I hope you have a wonderful time here. Alright class, you may begin. Please call me over for any assistance."

Fräulein Keiser skipped over to the pair at the table staring at everyone awkwardly. As if giving them a gold medal, she handed them two new sketchbooks. "Here you are, dears!" She smiled perfectly. Already she was getting on Rudy's nerves.

"Fräulein Keiser," Liesel said softly, drawing the attention towards her. "Can we put someone else in the picture?"

She smiled, "Yes! That would be wonderful!" And she went back to her desk.

Rudy looked at her quizzically, but she ignored him. She smiled, then got to sketching. Her memory was being undone, but she was fighting tears to search the memory she needed. She finally got it, and began sketching it down on paper, a smug smile plastered to her face.

Fifteen minutes passed before Liesel felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, looking up to see a group of girls standing around her desk. "Hullo, Liesel," One of them spoke. She had brown eyes, like her own, but silvery-blond hair. "My name is Adele Himmel," – Liesel cringed at the last name, but none of the girls noticed – "And these are my friends, Christa, Daniela, and Meike." Christa was abnormally tall, pretty ginger hair tied into a ponytail, and green eyes. Daniela had extremely curly hair, but was tamed nicely and had misty blue eyes. Meike had cropped brunette hair, and dawning green eyes. "And…well…we just wanted to let you know…if you needed anything, that…we're here to help you." They smiled and took their seats, not letting Liesel get a word in.

"I think they want to be your friend," Rudy said into her ear.

She rolled her eyes. "What are you drawing, _Saukerl_?"

He hugged the book to his chest. "Nothing. What about you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Nothing."

Before they knew it, the bell rang, and a new teacher came in. Herr Kuhn.

Now, because that period was so beyond boring, I won't bother telling you about it. They survived, barely, and dragged their feet on the way out. It was time for lunch. _So far so good,_ Liesel thought sadly. _But not far good enough._

It was a crowded lunch room, very stuffy and loud. The girls she had met in the morning classes urged her to go sit with them. Rudy urged her to go on, but she asked why he doesn't join them, but he said she needed to make friends like he did. He found someone he had recognized from earlier, and vanished into the crowd. Liesel felt a pain in her heart, but she didn't scratch at it and go chasing after Rudy. She felt too dependent as it was. And so she sat with the girls she had become acquaintance to in Art.

"Hullo," Liesel greeted, sitting down beside Adele.

"Hi, Liesel!" Meike said happily. "How is your day so far?"

_Hectic and horrible._ She thought. "Okay, I guess."

"Where's your cute friend?"

Jealousy pricked at her heart. "Rudy? Oh, he decided to sit with some other people, saying we both needed to make friends."

"Kind of rude to abandon you on your first day," Daniela said.

"I suppose."

Adele looked as if she had just realized something, shock adorned her face. "Hey, wait, you two are the two who survived the bombing of Himmel Street!"

Liesel's stomach churned. "Yes," She said coldly.

"How did you guys know about the bombs?"

"We didn't."

"How are you alive then?"

"Coincidence. Rudy and I both were in our basements."

"So you two are pretty close?" Adele was soaking this up quickly.

"You could say that. I've known him since I came to Himmel when I was younger."

"So you've lost two families? Must be hard."

"Can…we not talk about this?" She said awkwardly, feeling as if she were about to cry.

Daniela glared at Adele. "Sorry, Liesel. Adele pries too much."

They finished lunch civilly, and Liesel met up with Rudy quickly after lunch. They exchanged what had happened, and then Rudy realized they were headed off to PE. He was nearly skipping along as he went, pulling her along with the largest smile she had seen in a long time plastered to his face.

I think Rudy nearly exploded when they found out they were playing soccer. I smiled when I read from Liesel's second half of her story, as the first journal had been completely filled up before the bombing. I read from her journal entry,

"…_when lunch was over, we headed off to PE. Rudy was more excited than usual, and he was beaming with happiness. I think it was overdone when the teacher proudly said we were playing soccer. I think he lost it at that point. That was _his_ game. I had just hoped I wasn't stuck in goalie. Thankfully, I was not. Adele was, and trust me, that was the easiest game I ever played. Especially since Rudy was still a forward, and couldn't help hitting her in the face a few times. He had no mercy."_

Despite thinking she was their friend, Liesel really wasn't fond of the girls who had decided to adopt her. She thought they were snobs, and could tell she could find much better friends somewhere else. If only someone was willing to let her in to their 'group'. The teacher put Rudy as captain of one of the teams, making some of the boys groan at first – mainly when he picked Liesel – but they all quickly shut up at the stacked team he made and how aggressive Liesel was.

The only downfall was that Vogler was there. He was on defense, so he and Liesel were constantly fighting. Every now and again, he'd 'accidentally' touch her hair or arm. He kept goggling at her from across the field. Her patience was wearing quite thin, I imagine.

But not very many people noticed the boy's torture of her. She wanted to punch him, but she didn't want to get in trouble on the first day. She snorted, crossing her arms and waiting for the ball to come back to her.

Among the people who did notice, was Rudy. And Liesel noticed that he noticed.

"_Vogler's constant harassment sent me on edge, but it did more so for Rudy. I don't know what was going on in his thick head, but Rudy was always sending daggers at him, and always seemed to edge a little closer to me. It seemed almost protective. And of course, I couldn't help but wonder why he was defending me. Other than the fact we are best friends. Or are we more than that? After the kiss…_"

Yes, neither knew what to think of the other, really. They had finally admitted they loved each other. They finally kissed. It all _finally_ happened. But here they were, back to square one.

PE ended, and they moved to French.

The teacher spoke rapidly, and didn't seem to make sure Rudy and Liesel were following along, which irritated her highly. Madame Miller (as she preferred to be called), was rather arrogant and only cared about the students that were eligible to follow along. They both struggled, and hated the class already.

Finally, the last period came. Social Studies. Frau Engel was the teacher, and she was in her early forties, but she seemed nice enough. She had glasses and black hair with some gray in it. She was warm, welcoming, and made sure both Liesel and Rudy were following along.

When the last bell rung, the class was dismissed, and Liesel and Rudy waited in front of the school building to be picked up by Frau Hermann. Rudy was conversing with some boys he had befriended, chatting amiably with them about soccer. She, however, was talking quietly to Daniela – the only one of the group that she had been able to stand – on the opposite side of the schoolyard field.

Neither had really spoken to each other after the first few classes, but everyone noticed how attached to the other Liesel and Rudy were.

_____________.x!

**Mid-May, 1945**

School was an endless pit of soul-sucking doom – to put it _nicely._ Liesel found herself harassed by the Vogler boy, and Rudy seemed to grow more distant, yet at the same time, protective of her, which she barely noticed. She stayed with the girls that had adopted her the first day, even if she wasn't very happy about it.

As of now, she was found swamped in homework. She sat with books sprawled across the long table in the library, her hand pulling tightly against her hair in frustration. She wasn't having trouble keeping up with the class, but she was falling behind in French and Math only. To no one's surprise, The Book Thief excelled in English and PE. Rudy, like always, did good in everything.

She scribbled something down before furiously scratching it out and slamming her pencil down. She threw herself to the back of her chair and slunk down, groaning loudly. After a few seconds, she sat back up and stared at the door, and jumped. There was Rudy, leaning against the doorway. She grumbled something bitterly, turning back to her work.

The blond boy sauntered over, snatching her paper and glancing over it. She reached up to grab it, but he took a step back and kept the paper out of reach. "Really? This again?" She hissed.

"Take a break," He said simply, eyes smiling mischievously.

"I need to finish!"

"Not this second."

"RUDY!"

"Yes, _Saumensch_?"

"Give me my paper back!"

"Beg for it." He snickered, knowing she wouldn't do it.

Yet again, she surprised him. She stared up at him with her warm chocolate eyes, staring innocently at him. She got up, folding her hands together and stepping closer to him. "May I _please_ have my paper back, _Saukerl_?"

"Nope," he smiled. "Take a break first."

"_WHY NOT!?_"

"I need to talk to you."

"This better be important."

"It is."

"What do I get if I come?"

"I'll help with your homework."

"Fine."

Rudy smiled, grabbed her arm, and before she knew it, both were jogging along the side of the road. "Rudolf Alex Steiner where are we going?!" She shouted, nearly out of breath after a good half mile away. She quickly took back her words, as she saw the Amper River up ahead. Rudy had taken her to it a long way. She gave him a look, and he smiled innocently. "What are we doing here?"

"Come on," He urged her, pulling her wrist lightly.

She couldn't help but smile, and let him lead her on. They followed the river down toward the forest, where they disappeared into the trees, but kept going. Finally, they stopped. Liesel found herself standing on a rock, looking into the depths of a deep, forest pool. The waters were clear until it got too far down and vanished into darkness. There was an extreme amount of green, and a patch of lilies grew by where the river had changed into another, and now leaked down by rock, making it a peaceful, cascading fall. She sat cross-legged on the boulder and looked down at the water, waiting for Rudy to speak.

Liesel, in thought, didn't like what she saw. She saw a frail girl staring back at her, with brown eyes that looked shattered but glued back together. And you know what they say about broken glass. You can glue it back together, but you still see the cracks. She continued to stare at herself for what felt like an eternity, but it was really only five minutes. Rudy noticed through her reflection that she was staring awkwardly, so he left her alone. Her brown eyes remained locked with those below her until the person she was looking at looked like an absolute stranger. Until the curves and angles no longer looked familiar in the picture it was placed in. As if the image of herself she was staring at with such a scrutinizing look that it felt as if she had never before met the person, and she was wondering who the hell they were, and where they came from. They were staring, searching, running her over with such accusing, piteous, tired eyes as if to completely blame her for being so shattered. So haggard. So utterly…

"Liesel…"

"Yes?" Her voice was distant. She was still staring at the reflection.

"I…wanted to talk to you about school."

She groaned, finally pulling away the epic staredown with herself. "What is it that's bothering you?"

***** THE MOMENT OF TRUTH *****

"**Liesel, people have been asking about…us…at school."**

"**What do you mean?"**

"**They're asking…if we are…together."**

She looked down, her face going a little red. She was quiet. "Was that why you've been by my side every moment like a body guard?" She laughed. His heart sunk and his eyes fell, and Liesel didn't fail to notice that. "Oh, no, Rudy, I didn't mean it like that. You're my friend, of course I appreciate it."

"_Only _your friend," he said quite softly, taking a seat beside her.

She sighed, shaking her head and looking back to the pool. Rudy's eyes followed hers, and they stared at their reflections in silence for a moment. Rudy took the silence as a fact he was only a friend to her. Liesel was truthfully trying to figure out what to say. She slowly turned her head towards his, and her eyes narrowed on his head. Seeing the ripples change the reflection, Rudy turned to see Liesel staring at him.

And she did another thing that surprised him. She closed the gap between them, their lips brushing softly. Rudy pulled away first, but Liesel wasn't finished. She wrapped her arms around his neck, daring herself to keep going to prove it to him. Prove she had meant what she said those few months ago. Her tongue caressed his bottom lip, and both felt an explosion of warmth and butterflies appear as he opened his mouth and her tongue slid in and brushed against his. They explored each others mouths for a while, before both having to break for air and breathing hard. Liesel smiled, the smile pulling on the worry and sad lines that had begun to line her face. "_Ich meinte immer, was ich sagte. _I meant what I said."

_____________.x!

**Late May, 1945**

Both children were glad that the school year was almost over. True, they had only had to go through three months of it and would be returning in the fall, but both were already avidly waiting for summer to arrive. He had a list of what they were going to do, while Liesel wanted to spend – at least the first week – relaxing and not stressing about later on in the year. She wanted to finish her new story. Oh, right, I'm sure you're anxious to hear about that.

Well, _The Book Thief_ was written about Liesel Meminger's life, and she had filled that notebook with thoughts on Max, Rudy, and everyone that interacted with her. Her frights, loves, and experiences. All kept safe in a journal. And she sure had every right to continue writing. It's what makes the reader want to know what happens next. And that's exactly what it did, to her.

She wanted to write more. She found an empty notebook on Ilsa's bookshelf and kindly asked if she could have it. She was granted permission to have it, but she was at a loss of where to start. She planned to use her new story – appropriately named _The Book Thief II_ – as her new life and a way to express herself whenever she couldn't talk to anyone. It would become her friend, someone who didn't criticize what she said. Don't we all wish we had one of those?

She hadn't started writing yet, actually, for she didn't know exactly what to write. There was so much to say. She knew she would write about Rudy, school, and all the drama that went along. She constantly thought about her parents, still, as she wasn't going to let them die. In her memories, anyway. The only thing she kept so far in the journal was a handwritten list of things Rudy intended on doing over the summer. The list included stealing, making Liesel more comfortable about talking about her parents, and getting together a large enough group for a good, street game of soccer.

These were the things that managed to put a smile on her face.

Now, she sat alone up in her room, staring out the window and the replaced Himmel street, and at the blank paper in front of her. With a sigh, her pen began moving across the page in a pretty, flowing handwriting…

_It was cold when the bombs struck, winter finally at it's peak, and snow definitely covering the ground. If there was something I could say about it simply, it would be that it was unexpected. But isn't life that way? Filled with unexpected twists and turns…_

_I met Death that day. I saw him. He waved at me. I didn't wave back…_

_End Chapter_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Hello, readers! I am _so_ heartfully sorry for not having this posted sooner. School has pretty much devoured my life. Being at the end of my 8th grade year, my teachers think it's great to pack on the homework and all that lovely crap. Anyway, I am already halfway through with the next chapter, so let's hope I get it posted faster than this one was! Yay! Oh, and I know this chapter was pretty bad, too...sorry. I'm a bit off my game. x___x;


	10. Unmöglich

**chapter ten: unmöglich**

_impossible_

Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

* * *

Like all seasons do, spring faded into summer, and with it, the end of the school year. The couple made it through the school year without much pain, having made new friends, but each still holding their old friends close in their hearts. What they needed most was the summer; the time where they could run around like they used to and live happily. Where they could steal books and apples, play soccer in the street, deliver the washing for mama…

If only it were as simple as that.

There was no washing to deliver, and living in the house where they stole the books from, what was there to steal? The friends they played soccer with were gone, and it just wasn't the same. The street was gone, too. Rudy often took a soccer ball and simply kicked it around outside of the house, for Liesel was busy most of the time.

Having watching Papa play the accordion so many times, the girl decided she wanted to pick up an instrument as well. Lucky for her, the Hubermann's had a piano. It was kind of like an accordion, right? Well, that's how Fräulein Meminger liked to see it. It was productive, and she was quite good at it. She practiced hard every day, and she enjoyed it. Sometimes Rudy would come in and sit beside her and watch her play before going back outside, other times Liesel would go out and join Rudy.

But no matter what day it was, there was one thing they always did. Every day that Rudy's father would go to work at his tailor shop, the pair would go down and have lunch with him. Both agreed to doing it, but it was Liesel's idea in the first place. She claimed that 'you never know what could happen' and left it at that. Rudy didn't bother arguing with her.

Their wounded hearts were still on the track of healing. Deep cuts became scars that were slowly fading due to time. But there were some that not even time could heal. They would always be haunted and plagued with nightmares. No one can imagine what it's like to have the world explode around you. To watch as the ground shatters upward into a burning sky, extinguishing it with hues so vivid and mesmerizing, you forget to scream. To watch your world torn apart until you are no longer certain which way is up, or down.

As for myself – not to take away from our favorite duo, but I'm rather important as well. I deserve some recognition, you know – things were going good. The war was finally ending and what seemed like the first time in a very long time, I could sit down and take a break. I watched as the men who had fought in the war sluggishly returned home, or were also able to sit down and have a break. They took out their cigars and smoked, others went to bars to celebrate. Things were starting to look up.

As far as everyone else was concerned. My job wasn't even close to being finished yet. Nazis were beginning to be tracked down, and I'll be damned if anyone could tell me what would happen to them. It's not like I want to put up with them either. Having Hitler was bad enough. But I suppose he's better here than there.

The Jews were migrating out of Europe. No one wanted to come back, and no one could blame them. Germany was chaotic, it was surprising how Liesel and Rudy got along. But somehow, they made it. They were the survivors, they were tough, and they had their share of scars to show it.

However, not a day went by that Liesel Meminger missed her parents, her friends, and Max.

The teenagers now made their way down the street toward Herr Steiner's shop, Rudy swinging the bag containing his and Liesel's lunch carelessly back and forth as he caught up to her. "Hey, Saumensch! What's the rush?"

Although their attitudes changed, their language didn't seem to be affected at all. Despite the Hubermann's constant complaining about how undignified it was to use that kind of language.

Liesel turned around and smiled at him. "No rush," she said simply, and gave no further explanation as she skipped along.

"No rush my ass." The boy rolled his eyes and jogged to keep up with her. However, he couldn't help the smile as the shop came into sight.

They strolled in through the doors casually, finding relief in the dark place that was relevantly cooler than the outside. Herr Steiner was by the large wall of fabrics, organizing them for what the children assumed to be the eighth time. He glanced over at them with a smile, waving before turning his attention back to the fabrics.

To Liesel, he seemed…off. Something was wrong. She tipped her head to the side, but said nothing, for just then a customer walked in. The doors chimed to alert his presence. Alex turned and greeted him warmly, and Rudy tapped Liesel's shoulder and guided her back into the rooms behind the counter.

For the most part, they had kept it a secret. What was going on between them. Only a few people from school knew, and no one at the house knew, other than the two souls who kept it a secret between themselves. Why they kept it a secret, no one quite could tell. It was an unspoken thing. It was never brought up, never mentioned around the adults. They acted as close as siblings. But you could see something was there. The smiles that played on their faces, the way their eyes glinted when they gazed at each other. When no one was around, the affection really was there. The hugs, the kisses, the single fact that they had each other. Oh yes, it was there. You just had to know what to look for.

In the storage room at the back, the two sat down and waited to be called out by Rudy's father. He didn't like to be disturbed when he had customers, as all shop owners would. Of course his children – he had come to think of Liesel as a daughter by now – came first, but in a way, this was putting them first. The few extra pieces of money…anything helped. His biggest fear was that the Hubermann's would no longer be able to care for them. That something would happen, and it would be over for all of them. He tried to not let the fear eat away at his heart. So he turned to his few customers with fake smiles and a worried heart.

It was a good thing the kids did not know.

To his surprise, the door opened once again. He flashed a smile and added a warm, "I'll be right with you, Sir" over his shoulder. The man nodded and stood there, waiting. His hair was brown, and had a feathery look to them. His eyes were swampy, face clean shaven.

Fifteen minutes later, the first man left, leaving Alex along with the other.

The man spoke first. "Is there someone here by the name of Liesel Meminger?" He asked softly.

"Yes, she's in the back," said Alex. He was hopeful, but he wanted to be sure. "May I ask who is calling on her?"

The Book Thief came out. Rudy trailed behind her. She stopped, brown eyes wide. Whatever she had been going to say died on her lips, and for that moment, she could only stare. "M-Max?" It was choked. Barely a whisper. She ran then. Her arms found their way around his neck, tears streaming down her face. They cried and hugged and fell to the floor.

Max was alive.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Hello guys ~

I guess I'm back?

I've had half of this written for a long time, but a few days ago I was sitting at my computer, bored as heck, when I was like, "HEY WAIT. I KNOW WHAT I CAN DO." And I told myself I wouldn't go to bed until I finished it. Unfortunately, that didn't work. I got tired and went to bed. And then I lost my inspiration. Heh. Whoops. BUT! Then I was looking up Book Thief trailers on youtube, and I found this one that totally blew my mind. If you want to see it, put "o death/the book thief [for alezhanda]" (no quotations) in the search bar on youtube and it's by KetariFang and, well, you should really go watch it. Now. :D

Well, I have an idea of what I'm going to be doing with this now, so you should be seeing more frequent updates ~

I'll be wrapping the story up soon. :/

If not, you can spam the hell out of me yelling at me to finish it. That helps.

Uh, please review? 8D?


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